Ukraine will face "enormous problems" on its path to EU because of Bandera and Shukhevych in National Pantheon, - Polish Foreign Ministry
The inclusion of Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych in Ukraine’s National Pantheon could cause serious problems for Ukraine on its path to European Union membership.
According to Censor.NET, this was stated by Poland’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marcin Bosacki, in an interview with RMF24.
Bosacki: Every nation has the right to choose its own heroes
The Polish diplomat acknowledged Ukraine’s right to determine for itself whom to honour as national heroes. At the same time, he stated that the presence of Bandera and Shukhevych in the National Pantheon would, in his view, have a negative impact not only on Ukrainian-Polish relations.
"Every nation and its government has the right to choose the heroes they deem appropriate," said Bosacki.
He also maintains that honouring figures whom the Polish side considers responsible for mass crimes against the civilian population would "significantly worsen" Ukraine’s relations with Poland and Europe as a whole.
The Polish Foreign Ministry mentioned the reburial of Konovalets
Bosacki also commented on the recent reburial of Yevhen Konovalets, leader of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists, describing him as "a far less controversial figure".
According to the diplomat, there were almost no representatives of EU diplomatic missions present at the ceremony. Bosacki stated that this was the result of a "Polish diplomatic initiative".
"Ukraine knows that under the banners of those who killed – incidentally, not only Poles, but also some Ukrainians, as well as Czechs, Jews and Roma – that is, the founders of the UPA during the worst period of its activities, in 1943–1944, Ukraine will face enormous problems with its integration into Europe," stated the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland.
